This is my first jump into the world of high fidelity audio, and I'm really pleased with how well this system sounds. It images great, has fantastic midrange, and it doesn't sound like it's working at all to create such great music. All suggestions are welcome, thanks.
Update to my suggestion or correction. I should have said sit about 1/2 to 2/3 of the distance the speakers are apart. If the speakers are 8 feet apart you should be sitting about 4-6 feet from them, my bad, transposed what I wanted to say. You can play with this suggestion until you find the sweet spot, it may seem foolish but inches can make a difference here, also mark spots on the floor with tape to give you a reference point of where you started with the speakers, some time spent here will allow to to dial in the stereo image and will pay you back endlessly. Also agree on the other suggestions of a sturdy rack as a solid place to sit the equipment.
I would like to say it is a great start. I agree with everyone above also- but the biggest improvement you will have on your system over anything else is clean your room up and keep it that way. You will be surprised how much better it will sound. Or better yet get a weekly house cleaner and then you can play more music!
I like your gear choices & would like to 2nd everything the 3 gentlemen ahead of me said & would like to add a few items. First, get a nicer looking & more rigid tv stand for your gear and don't spend more than a couple hundred $$$; a good chunk of the money you spent on your gear has gone into aesthetics & mechanical isolation. Second, if you do decide on a subwoofer get 2 of them for placement flexibility (you'll thank me later.) Third, get a flat-panel tv (when funds allow, obviously) because this will have the least interference with your center image if it's close to the wall - if you must have a tv in your stereo. Last, get a really great power conditioner (like a PS Audio) that you won't have to replace later when you decide you need more expensive gear; especially if you have an electrically noisy tv in your rig. You are off to a great start, btw, keep it up!
Great start. Couple of simple suggestions. How far are you sitting away from the speakers? Try moving them a bit closer then the current position, just to give it a shot. Good general rule is to have your speakers be placed 1/2 of the distance apart as you sit from them. Again very general but if you are 8 feet from the speakers have them 4-5 feet apart. Second suggestion is take a look at subwoofers, with a stand mounted speaker like the B&W's the bottom end could be beefed up so to speak with the addition of a nice 8 inch or 10 inch woofer. Just my opinion. Enjoy.
How do you like your Music Hall CD25.2? I was a little iffy about getting into expensive (for me) CD players, but I was pleasantly surprised. Found it much more engaging than my old Pioneer DV563a, it really made my speakers come alive. Did you do any auditioning vs. other players?
Simple and very effective. Sometimes that's all it takes and you don't have to spend a ton of money to do this stuff. But, if I had a ton a money, I would be posting my system in the "All Out Assault" section...LOL.
